Even After Dying, Andrea Gibson Shows Us How to Live
It's a scene so simple yet so profound. In the early minutes of “Come See Me in the Good Light,” the newly released documentary that chronicles poet Andrea Gibson and how their illness diagnosis transformed their life, Gibson—who uses the pronouns they/them—is trying to fix their broken mailbox. They use rocks to steady the box that keeps stubbornly breaking. It's a silly moment. Banal even. Then Gibson drops their wisdom.
“If I were the mailperson, I would deliver this because I would see how hard people try,” they said, smiling. “I think what matters most is the trying.”
That ability to cut to the tender truth was so Gibson. Known for illuminating words of light and sincerity, Gibson was a revered writer and spoken-word poet who died in July at 49. They had published numerous books and sold out stages across the world, harnessing a rare gift to deliver sharp, witty words that encapsulate the truths of life, from fear, love, and sadness to longing and joy and inclusion. They were bestowed the title of Colorado Poet Laureate and beloved by people near and far, including celebrities and public figures.
They were grand and open to life.
You could say Gibson became ever more open to life four years ago when they were diagnosed with ovarian cancer. A self-proclaimed hypochondriac, they admitted they had a lifelong fear of receiving a cancer diagnosis, given that they'd lost family members to the disease. But rather than turn away, Gibson decided to move toward the lessons their illness delivered and expand their heart even more.
“Come See Me in the Good Light” documents the poet's journey post-diagnosis and how they chose to embrace the beauty and joy in their life. With their partner, writer and poet Megan Falley, Gibson lets the camera in on their most intimate moments at home, in the doctor's office, and out in the world. The film sheds light on a person who marked death not as a morbid ending but as an invitation to love to the fullest capacity.
Their story holds an infinite number of lessons for us all, making their writings a must-read and their documentary a must-see. These are three profound learnings we took away from Gibson:
#1: Dying is a portal to being fully here.
In their poem for their wife, Falley, “Love Letter From the Afterlife,”
Gibson writes in part, “When I left my body, I did not go away. That portal of light was not a portal to elsewhere, but a portal to here. I am more here than I ever was before. I am more with you than I ever could have imagined.”
#2: Laughter always has a place.
Gibson and Falley laugh together throughout the documentary—giant, full-throated laughs. They are facing the unfathomable, from Gibson's illness worsening to Falley facing the truth that her beloved is dying. But they always make it paramount to make room for the joy.
#3: This life holds endless wells of love and magic for us all.
The way Gibson lived, right up until their final day on this Earth, was one of choice and beauty: They showed all of us how much gorgeousness this life can truly hold, not despite our circumstances but in the company of them.
As they continue to show us in their stunning poem, “Acceptance Speech After Setting the World Record in Goosebumps,” there is so much around us that is alive; we just have to open our eyes and hearts to it all:
“There is no escaping the magic now.
Beauty caught me and never let me go.
And the thing about the world record
Is— if someone breaks it after me,
and they will break it after me,
I will love that so much
that without even trying,
I'll break it again.”
“Come See Me in the Good Light” is streaming now on Apple TV+. Watch here and learn more about the late Andrea Gibson here and Megan Falley here.
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